Ban Mong Reservoir Project Inaugurated
After years of construction, the first phase of the Ban Mong Reservoir headworks complex was officially inaugurated this morning.
On the morning of December 19th, in Tam Hop commune (Nghe An province), the Management Board for Investment and Construction of Irrigation Project 1 held the inauguration ceremony for the Ban Mong Reservoir headworks complex, phase 1, in Nghe An province.
Attending the inauguration ceremony were: Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong - Member of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of Vietnam, Governor of the State Bank of Vietnam; Mr. Hoang Trung - Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment…
Representing Nghe An province were: Ms. Vo Thi Minh Sinh - Deputy Secretary of the Provincial Party Committee, Chairwoman of the Provincial Fatherland Front Committee, and Head of the Provincial National Assembly Delegation; Mr. Nguyen Nhu Khoi - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Council; and Mr. Thai Van Thanh - Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee.
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The Ban Mong Reservoir Project was approved in 2009 with the task of providing irrigation water for 18,858 hectares along the Hieu River, including 4,551 hectares irrigated by gravity flow and the remainder by pumped irrigation; and supplying water to the Ca River during the dry season at approximately 22 m³.3/s; combined power generation with irrigation with an installed capacity of 45MW; creating a water source for industry, domestic use and livestock farming; aquaculture and environmental improvement; combined with partial flood reduction for the downstream of the Hieu River.
Regarding the construction component, there is the Ban Mong reservoir headworks component with a reservoir capacity of 224.78 million m³.3and a 45MW hydroelectric power plant, producing 168 million kWh/year, and 8 pumping stations drawing water downstream from the Hieu River.
The project commenced construction in 2010; however, due to funding difficulties, the progress had to be postponed beyond 2011 according to Government Directive No. 1792/CT-TTg dated October 15, 2011. Changes in land clearance policies rendered the approved investment amount from 2009 unsuitable. The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (now the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment) reported this to the Prime Minister, who approved the phased investment using additional funds from the Ministry's contingency fund for the 2017-2020 period.
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The Ban Mong reservoir is the first irrigation project to research and apply fly ash, a waste product of thermal power plants, to conventional concrete. In fact, the project consumed approximately 22,000 tons of fly ash, replacing about 30% of the cement used. This not only limited environmental impact but also accelerated construction progress and reduced investment costs by approximately 85 billion VND.
During the implementation of phase 1 of the project, the investors and relevant units fully complied with all procedures and formalities; the construction process was inspected by the State Inspection Council, which also reviewed the investor's acceptance of the work.
Land clearance work has been actively carried out by the People's Committees of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces and local authorities at all levels. They regularly hold press conferences and dialogues with people in the project area, sharing and understanding policies to encourage people to proactively relocate, hand over parts of the land, and complete each construction item.
The Ministry of Agriculture and Environment has proactively coordinated and repeatedly worked directly with the Secretaries and Chairmen of the People's Committees of the provinces and relevant departments and agencies to resolve difficulties and obstacles.
To date, the entire headworks complex (including the main dam, auxiliary dam, spillway, deep discharge culvert combined with sand discharge, hydropower plant, and water intake culvert), with Project Management Board 1 as the investor, has been basically completed. The quality of the works meets technical requirements, conforms to applicable regulations and standards, and the approved design documents. Eight pumping stations drawing water from the Hieu River, with the Department of Agriculture and Rural Development of Nghe An province (now the Department of Agriculture and Environment) as the investor, have been completed, ensuring irrigation water supply for 3,098 hectares.
Land clearance work carried out by Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces has basically met the construction schedule; specifically, the reservoir area has been handed over up to elevation +71.86m, while the remaining area from elevation +(71.86÷76.40)m is being actively implemented by the two localities and will be completed in the near future.
The decision to put the Ban Mong reservoir headworks into operation and initially fill the reservoir to an elevation of +71.86m during the celebration of the 14th National Congress of the Party is consistent with the current practical conditions of the project, contributing to the early realization of the project's effectiveness and serving as an important prerequisite for the implementation and completion of the Ban Mong project phase 2 (self-flowing canal system), in order to maximize the efficient use of investment capital.
Speaking at the ceremony, Mr. Thai Van Thanh, Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee, said that Nghe An province has nearly 80% of its population living on agriculture; the agricultural sector contributes about 25% of the province's GRDP. The province is located in a harsh climate zone, heavily affected by climate change, droughts, and extreme floods. Meanwhile, the demand for water for production and daily life is increasing, while natural water resources are increasingly depleted.
In this context, investing in the construction of large-scale, modern irrigation projects is an urgent requirement and a top priority to ensure economic development.
Recognizing this as a crucial task with significant implications for ensuring water security and serving the socio-economic development of the region, Nghe An province has decisively directed its departments, agencies, and localities to focus on compensation and land clearance work, proactively coordinating with the Ministry of Agriculture and Environment to urge construction units to organize implementation.
"This is not just an irrigation project, but a project of faith, will, and aspiration for development," affirmed Vice Chairman of the Provincial People's Committee Thai Van Thanh.
Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung stated that the completion of this project is a great achievement resulting from the dedication of officials, workers, engineers, experts, and scientists who directly participated in the construction; the solidarity and sharing of hundreds of households who relocated and ceded land for the construction; the determined coordination and close management of the leaders of the People's Committees of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces; the attention and guidance of the Party and Government; and the effective coordination of central ministries and agencies.
The completed project will contribute to ensuring water security, developing sustainable high-tech and organic agriculture, and gradually ensuring stability and improving the lives of people in the project area.
To ensure the project is put into effective operation and use, Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment Hoang Trung requested that agencies under the Ministry organize the handover and operation of the project in accordance with regulations, ensuring safety and maximizing efficiency; at the same time, expedite the implementation of the Ban Mong project phase 2 (canal system) in Nghe An province.
The Deputy Minister of Agriculture and Environment requested Nghe An province to direct relevant units to develop plans for safe and effective management and exploitation; and at the same time, to research the economic and tourism development from the potential and advantages of Ban Mong Lake, befitting its status as a key irrigation project of the locality and the region…
The Deputy Minister also expressed his hope that the leaders of Nghe An and Thanh Hoa provinces would continue to direct relevant departments, agencies, and local authorities to urgently complete the remaining land clearance for the reservoir area up to the design elevation (+76.40m).